Orthodox Judaism: Features and Issues for Psychotherapy Kate Miriam Loewenthal, Psychology Department Royal Holloway University of London Egham Surrey TW20 0EX UK
[email protected] Important aspects of Orthodox Judaism. What are the most fundamental aspects of orthodox Jewish beliefs and life-style? Which are most salient for psychology and psychotherapy? Since the destruction of the second Temple nearly 2,000 years ago, many Jewish were dispersed from the land of Israel, but the longing for a restoration of the Temple, and of a complete return of the Jewish people to the land of Israel, has remained a key feature of Jewish prayers and identity in the centuries that followed. There are about 14 million Jews in the world today. About 3-4 million live in Israel, with a similar number in the USA, and in the former Soviet Union, and the remainder scattered in communities in every continent. The orthodox can be broadly divided into two categories: - The strictly- or ultra-orthodox. In Israel, Jews in this group are called the charedim, and the men wear conservative dark clothes, black skull-caps (yarmulkes) black hats, and are often bearded. The women wear modest dress (skirts and sleeves below the knees and elbows, high necklines, and cover the hair, sometimes with a wig). There are many groups within charedi circles, of which the most noticeable are the pietistic Chasidim, numerous groups, each clustered around a charismatic leader, a Rebbe. They are particularly likely to encourage religious enthusiasm and mystical experience. - The traditionally and modern orthodox. In Israel, Jews in this group may be called daatim (though his term sometimes covers the ultra-orthodox as well).